Ireland day 1352. Wednesday 11 June 2025- UK Visitor Day 3

Today’s summary	Our visiting friend had some business meetings south of Dublin today. Val went into town with her shortly after 9am. I got up, put some washing on, then walked down to Howth. Met up with Val there for fish and chip lunch by the harbour then walked back together to Sutton. Caught a well-timed 102 bus back to Malahide. Val went on a run in the evening and I did some jobs in and around the flat. Caponata and ham for dinner and a bit of TV before bed.
Today’s weather	Bright and breezy with lots of sun all day. Strong to gale force south easterly wind. Appx 16c

Today’s overview location (The blue mark shows the location of my route)		Close-up location (The blue line shows where I walked) (Click button below to download GPX of today’s walk as recorded, or see interactive map at bottom with elevations corrected): Breezy walk to Howth and Sutton extended 2

Commentary

There are several unexpected spinoff benefits to having guests to stay. The cleaning and general tidying up which it demands are a couple, but another is the requirement that hosting imposes on you to get up and get organised.

Today was a case in point. Our guest had a couple of appointments to the south of Dublin mid-morning, so needed to be away on the train by 9 am. Val also had a few things she wanted to do in Dublin, so the two of them set off together bright and early, leaving me to my own devices. I used the time to have a leisurely breakfast and to get the first of several loads of washing on.

Once I was all done and dusted, I thought about the day and concluded that as the weather looked good outside, I’d walk down to Howth and ask Val to come out on the Dart to meet me there once her Dublin tasks were completed. So, in the end, that’s what we did.

My walk south was very enjoyable although this walk is prone to headwinds and today the south-easterly was particularly intrusive. The sun was also quite bright (something not to be decried) – but the sun combined with the wind left me feeling somewhat rosy by the end.

I communicated with Val as I was en route and she duly made her way out to Howth to meet me when I sauntered in. Because of our relatively early starts, it was still only about noon when we rendezvoused. But as we were both already feeling quite hungry, we decided to satisfy our appetites with some fish and chips from Leo Burdock’s. We found a place on one of the harbour walls that was out of the wind, and hastily scoffed our rather tasty lunches before the persistent seagulls had time to register our presence.

Once we’d eaten, we walked back up to Sutton along the road (the tide was in so the coastal route was impassable) and, luckily, a 102 was waiting when we got there. It departed pretty much as soon as we had clambered aboard, so all in all a super-efficient journey. On our return to Malahide, I did some shopping and caught up on more laundry while Val went out on a run.

Our guest returned from her travels after 7pm, then once she was back we had a caponata and ham salad for dinner, with a nice glass of white wine, and watched a little TV before retiring to bed quite early. All in all it was a pretty good day for us all, and for me the blustery sunshine was a real tonic.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Up on Paddy’s Hill. T-shirt and shorts weather (almost!)	I remember in the 1970s and 80s, the search for the perfect white marigold was all the rage. Just like black tulips I suppose. And like the tulips, I’m not sure it was ever achieved. Though this one – by the ruined tidal mill in Portmarnock – does come pretty close, I have to admit

Poetry – spotted on the water pumping station alongside the Baldoyle Greenway	On Burrow beach at Sutton. I was hoping it would be possible to walk round to Howth along the coast, but the tide looked to be too high. So there was no alternative but to make the road walk. Luckily it’s not too far.

Lots of builders still busy at work on the new sea-view apartments in Howth	Perhaps the local temptations are too great for them to leave

Classic view of Howth harbour. The wind was howling in the rigging today, so it was anything but peaceful down there